WNDB Annual Report for 2014

A Message from Ellen Oh
Who could have imagined all the changes that would happen in a year?
When We Need Diverse Books™ (WNDB™) launched its inaugural campaign in April of 2014, it
was to address the lack of diverse narratives in children’s literature. We had a vision for a better
future, and we were determined to make this change happen.
Armed with statistics, we knew that the lack of diverse narratives had a direct correlation to our
country’s literacy problem. We believed there was a pressing need for all of our children to learn
tolerance and empathy of others. And we believed that a grassroots campaign was the best way
to build momentum and bring attention to the ongoing problem.
The public support we received proved us right and helped us take our initiatives to the next
level.
In July of 2014, WNDB™ incorporated, and in November, we ran an extremely successful
Indiegogo campaign that is providing the basis for many exciting programs.
We have seen some important changes happen in the short time of our existence, including
BookCon's invitation to showcase two powerhouse WNDB™ panels that highlight diversity in both
children’s and adult science fiction/fantasy literature.
But none of our success could have happened without all of your support. Many of you provided
generous financial support, while others volunteered time and expertise to help us reach our
goals.
Thanks to you – our amazing donors, volunteers, and supporters – we enter into 2015 wellpositioned to affect more change. We are hard at work to put into effect meaningful programs,
such as WNDB™ in the Classroom, the Walter Dean Myers Awards and Grants, and the WNDB™
internship program, spearheaded by Honorary Chair, Linda Sue Park. We've put diversity at the
forefront of local and national conferences by sending diverse authors to be on panels around
the country to continue to raise awareness among different audiences. Our educators and
librarians have worked with School Library Journal to develop our first ever WNDB™ Booktalking
kits, which we plan to roll out to booksellers, librarians and teachers in May 2015.
Meanwhile, good news is at hand. ALA made diversity the overall winner at the Youth Media
Awards by honoring an incredible array of diverse books, authors and librarians. For the first
time, the Newbery and honor awards went to three diverse authors. And in the comic book
world, both DC and Marvel have committed to diversifying their superhero worlds.
Change is happening. There is so much more to do to ensure that this change sustains well into
the future. But we are confident we can do it with the help of all our wonderful donors,
supporters and volunteers.
Thank you for being a part of We Need Diverse Books™.
Our mission
We Need Diverse Books™ is a grassroots
organization of children's book lovers that advocates
essential changes in the publishing industry to
produce and promote literature that reflects and
honors the lives of all young people.
How we define
diversity:
We recognize all diverse
experiences, including
(but not limited to)
LGBTQIA+, people of
color, gender diversity,
people with disabilities,
and ethnic, cultural and
religious minorities.
How we're organized
Under the able leadership of Marieke Nijkamp, WNDB™ has applied for 501c3 status. Currently,
An Open Book Foundation is acting as our fiscal sponsor.
We are governed by a volunteer executive board of international authors, and we have no paid
regular staff. Our board and over 30 team members handle all programs and administrative
needs.
Advisory Board
Jacqueline Woodson
Matt De La Peña
Linda Sue Park
Grace Lin
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Tim Federle
Christopher Myers
Cindy Pon
Our partners in 2014
School Library Journal
An Open Book Foundation
Society of Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators (SCBWI)
Team members: Jennifer Baker (Social Media Manager), Allie Jane Bruce (Librarian),
Dhonielle Clayton (Librarian), Stacey H. Lee (Legal), Bryce Leung & Kristy Shen (Dir.
Technology), Karen Sandler (Facebook/Brand manager), S.E. Sinkhorn (PR Chair), Don
Tate (Artist Outreach), Martha White (Strategic Partnerships), Nicola Yoon (Social Media),
Renee Ahdieh, Barbara Binns, Elsie Chapman, Sona Charaipotra, C.D. Childers, Steven Dos
Santos, Corinne Duyvis, K.T. Horning, Mike Jung, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Tracy Lopez,
Valynne E. Maetani, Jennifer Mann, Cassie Marketos, Caroline Richmond, Olugbemisola
Rhuday-Perkovich, Cindy Rodriguez, Michelle Schusterman, Anya Steiner, Anne Ursu.
Total income 2014: $333,023
Project4Awesome 3% $10,000*
#CelebrateJackie 33% $110,000
IndieGogo Campaign: 64% $213,023
*Funds to be released when We Need Diverse Books™ is awarded 501(c)(3) status, independent from its fiscal sponsor.
Over 2,400 contributors from 164 countries, with an average donation of $137 per person.
Major donors will be included on our website, on the special Wall of Thanks.
* Administrative fees include: organizational costs, insurance, legal and accountancy
fees.
** Fundraising fees include: IndieGogo and JustGiving Fees, as well as our fiscal
sponsorship fees.
We Need Diverse Books™ focuses both on unique programming (via WNDB™ in the
Classroom, the Walter Award for Excellence in Diverse Literature, the Walter grants, the
Publishing Internship Program) and on outreach and advocacy efforts (through
developing educational kits, dedicated applications, merchandise, and appearances).
Total operating budget: $272,000
Administrative fees* 9% - $25,000
Fundraising fees** 18% - $50,000
Outreach and advocacy 28% - $75,000
Programming 45% - $122,000
Carry forward to 2016 to ensure continuing services (and because some of the
Indiegogo rewards were specifically for 2016 purposes): $81,023
What we've been up to in 2014
Our Projects
WNDB™ Booktalking Kit
Leaders: Ilene Wong Gregorio, Hannah Gomez, and Allie Jane Bruce
Working in partnership with School Library Journal, WNDB™ will provide educators with
a toolkit to aid booksellers, librarians and teachers in the discovery and promotion of
diverse books.
Why are toolkits important? We believe that educators need hands-on support as
they expand the way they select and promote diverse stories to children. Strong title
suggestions, book blurbs, and comparable titles make it easier to get kids excited to try
new titles.
What we did in 2014: We solidified partnership with School Library Journal and the
American Booksellers Association to develop the initial list of titles and the kit prototype.
Partnered with the Smithsonian APA blog in providing graphics for their summer reading
series.
What's still to come in 2015: Toolkits will debut in May of 2015 via the Indiebound
Whiteboxes and online. We're looking for a sponsor to allow mass-delivery to libraries
and schools across the country.
For information on the WNDB™ Booktalking Kits, contact I.W. Gregorio at
iwgregorio@diversebooks.org
The Walter Award
Leaders: Aisha Saeed administrator, Dhonielle Clayton and Kathie Weinberg co-chairs
Named after Walter Dean Myers who dedicated his life to writing and promoting
excellent work for children that represented many perspectives and experiences, the
Walter Award grants $2,000 to an outstanding book written by a diverse author in any
calendar year.
Why do we fund this award? We believe that celebrating excellent books that push
open our notions of diversity is vital to changing the landscape of publishing.
What we did in 2014: Judging panels were selected and criteria was developed for the
award.
What's coming in 2015/16: The first Walter Award will be announced in early 2016
for a title published in 2015.
The Walter Grants
Leaders: Aisha Saeed and Marietta Zacker
WNDB™ provides grants of $2,000 each to five unpublished writers whose background
and work is diverse.
Why do we support unpublished diverse writers? WNDB™ wants to help remove
financial barriers for new talent entering the field of children’s publishing.
What we did in 2014: Established the eligibility criteria and identified judges.
What's coming in 2015: The first grants will be announced in Fall 2015.
For more information on the Walter Grants and/or the Walter Award, contact:
aishasaeed@diversebooks.org
WNDB™ in the Classroom
Leaders: Ellen Oh
Working with An Open Book Foundation, WNDB™ in the Classroom brings diverse books
and authors into Title 1 school classrooms, providing free books and personal interaction
with authors who are creating quality work today.
Why do we target Title 1 schools? For minority children living in poverty, literacy has
been linked to the lack of representation in children's books. By helping children find
stories and authors that they can relate to, we help children connect to reading in a
personal way and foster their life-long love of reading.
How we did in 2014: Entered into a formal agreement with An Open Book Foundation to bring
ten diverse author visits as well as free books written by those diverse authors to Title 1 schools
in the Washington, DC area.
What's coming in 2015: Author visits have begun as of February 2015 and will continue
throughout the calendar year.
For information about WNDB™ in the Classroom, contact Ellen Oh at ellenoh@diversebooks.org
WNDB™ Anthology: Stories for All of Us
Leaders: Ellen Oh
The WNDB™ Anthology will be published by Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House.
Written by a well-established group of authors representing diverse voices, this collection of
middle grade short stories will also include a short story contest-winner – previously unpublished
– as a way to introduce his or her work to readers.
Why an anthology? The anthology provides a school-friendly sampler of authors whose work
can easily be incorporated into curriculum. Long-term, we hope the anthology can be made
available to as many Title 1 schools as possible.
How we did in 2014: We entered into an agreement with Crown Books for Children/Random
House, to publish the anthology. WNDB™ will receive a one-time donation from Crown Books. All
future royalties have been donated to WNDB™ by the contributing authors.
What we can look forward to in 2015 and beyond: The publication date for the anthology is
January of 2017.
WNDB™ Internships
Leaders: Advisory Board Chair Linda Sue Park and Anne Ursu
Our internship program provides supplemental grants of up to $2,500 to interns from diverse
backgrounds at publishing houses.
Why do we support internships? We believe that by increasing the number of book
professionals who represent a wide array of backgrounds, publishing houses will have the ability
to make more nuanced and thoughtful acquisitions and marketing plans.
What we did in 2014: Extensive publisher and university outreach.
What to look forward to in 2015: The grant information will be sent out to college career
offices and publishing houses in spring 2015. WNDB™ will begin supporting interns as early as
Summer 2015.
For more information about the internship initiative, contact lead volunteer Anne Ursu at
anneursu@diversebooks.org
WNDB™ Mentorships
Leaders: Marieke Nijkamp and Miranda Paul
Why do we mentor diverse authors? We believe that supporting new authors early in
their career is essential to their success in the field. By providing writers with advice,
feedback, contacts and instructions, we offer much-needed support to improve their
craft as well as their understanding of the publishing industry.
What we did in 2014: Developed a rough project proposal and steering committee.
What's coming in 2015: An application and selection process that will match individual
writers and illustrators with mentors for a one-year period beginning in 2016.
WNDB™ Diversity Festival
Leaders: Ilene Wong Gregorio and Jennifer Baker
In the Summer of 2016, WNDB™ will host a hybrid book festival and writers conference
to shine a light on diverse books, and to bring together all the players in the publishing
industry, including readers, teachers, librarians, writers, agents and editors.
Why a festival? The festival will allow readers, writers and the publishing industry to
exchange ideas and participate in discovery of diverse books and authors.
What we did in 2014: Identified possible venue for festival.
What to look forward to in 2015: Finalizing festival venue, preliminary speaker lineup
and exhibit hall.
Be part of the change.
Support We Need Diverse Books™.
How you can help?
To volunteer,
contact Miranda Paul at mirandapaul@diversebooks.org
To donate: http://weneeddiversebooks.org/fundraising/
WNDB™ 2014 annual report designed by Tracy López.
Our name, the terms We Need Diverse Books™, WNDB™, our logo, and all
related names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans are
trademarks of We Need Diverse Books™.
All images used either with permission or licensed for creative commons
use. Attribution for creative commons images:
Painted brick wall/cover page: Stefan Bauckmeier
Crayons/page three: Matt Doucette